IT Schools: Readers Weigh In

Readers speak up to tell us about their training experiences—the good and the bad.

11/01/2001

Recently, MCP Magazine asked readers to tell us about their training experiences, good and bad. The response was phenomenal. If you’re debating about what school to attend, check for your potential school here. You’ll find plenty of specific recommendations—pro and con. Thanks to all who wrote.

All That Sucks in Training

Staffmark Training Center,
Little Rock, Arkansas
In November 1999, I enrolled at Staffmark after meeting with its
sales people. The $6,500 tuition seemed reasonable for A+ and MCSE training.
It promised instructor-led lectures, hands-on labs and a 95 percent job
placement rate of students, with starting salaries of $50,000 to $75,000
with no prior experience. I must admit that the A+ course was decent.
It consisted of an eight-week instructor-led course in a formal classroom
setting. However, things changed after I passed my A+ certification exams
and proceeded into the NT 4.0 MCSE track.

Training consisted of CBTs that I, as well as many other students, found
terribly dry and boring. After listening to the CBTs for 70-058 Networking
Essentials, I decided that my time would be better spent studying on my
own. The lectures, as it turned out, consisted of one session per each
MCSE track. The “lecture” lasted no more than 90 minutes and sometimes
the “instructor” was an MCSE student “upperclassman.” The hands-on labs
were poorly planned and of little benefit. As it turns out, few, if any,
of the school’s instructors were MCTs and/or licensed instructors with
the State Board for Private Career Education. As a part of our study materials
for each track, we were given a “braindump” that someone had downloaded
from the Internet. We were told that if we memorized the questions and
answers we’d certainly pass the test.

I quickly realized that Staffmark’s idea of training would make me nothing
more than a paper MCSE. If I had followed its plan I would have been lost
when I got my first IT job. After that first class, I rarely attended
a lecture or a lab at Staffmark. I received my MCSE certification in October
2000 because of personal study and hands-on training. I’m using the same
approach in my pursuit of Windows 2000 MCSE certification.

As for its advertised job-placement rate, Staffmark didn’t set up a single
interview for me. Several weeks after I began my new job with ClearPointe
Technology Group, one of Staffmark’s job-placement employees called my
house one afternoon asking for me. My wife told her that I was at work,
to which the placement employee asked, “Oh, where is he working?” After
my wife told her, the Staffmark employee asked, “How much is he making?”
to which my wife responded “None of your business.” I’d be willing to
bet that my file at Staffmark shows that they placed me in my current
position. Also, Staffmark’s claim of starting salaries of $50,000-plus
may be true in larger metropolitan areas and Silicon Valley, but it doesn’t
hold water in Little Rock.—Jim Doyle

Business Training Institute
Rochelle Park, New JerseyWhen I went for my initial tour of the school, the recruiter had
told me the program was in its third booming year, and it was getting
bigger and better. They told me that companies were always looking for
interns and graduating students, and it had an alarming placement rate
after graduation. It had new equipment and it was the right price. I signed
up. The only thing that kept us 16 students in that class for 12 months
was a great teacher, Luis Hernandez. After graduation, I got absolutely
no help in finding employment from the school. In my view, the school
had my money, and that was all it wanted. If I had to give advice to anyone,
I’d say, talk to other students enrolled in the program and ask to get
graduating students’ recommendations. The school itself was poorly run,
and I told them so after I found employment on my own. I will go through
Web-based training for CCNA next, as well as Win2K.—Bob Limite

Silicon Valley College
Walnut Creek, California
The school advertises that you can get an associate’s of applied science
degree in network systems administration. At first, the school seemed
pretty good; it took us through the basics. We started with computer hardware.
The school encouraged us to take the A+ certification, and I’m glad I
got that one.

The second class we went into was Networking Essentials. All of the classes
used Microsoft Press books. Unfortunately, the teachers possessed no Microsoft
credentials. Out of nine instructors, two were qualified to teach Microsoft
courses. My instructor had no background with networking and hadn’t read
the book before the first day of class. Her lack of knowledge in the subject
showed right away. I convinced 10 other students to sign a letter about
this problem, and the instructor was removed from the college the night
I turned it in. However, we were in the fifth week of a six-week class
and never received reimbursement, nor the chance to take the class over.

We moved further into NT Server, IIS, and the whole MCSE suite of exam
preps. Instead of teaching us the Microsoft software, they taught us how
to pass the MCP tests by the use of braindumps. The material that was
given to us appeared to be word-for-word as it appeared on the MCP test.
Most of the time, the instructors would show up for about half the allotted
four-hour class. I complained to the dean of the school and even the president.
Their response: “Just stick with it until you finish school and get that
degree.” I’ve since written many letters to this school demanding a refund
for the classes. It has denied each one.

I got lucky with a referral from a neighbor and obtained a position within
an IT department. I do love computer technology and won’t give up even
with such a setback as I have described to you.—Julian Engel

Quantum Training & Development
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
I paid $15,000 for a 54-week instructor-led course. The pluses: I lived
reasonably close to the school; hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour
for lunch; full-time students got a free laptop; the instructors were
qualified (see minuses); each student had a lab computer; six NT exams
were included in the cost of the course; parking was free; and there were
a couple of fast-food places nearby.

The minuses: The instructors picked up their certifications just prior
to training the class (on the fly); the school didn’t have an authorized
testing center until near the end of the course; there was a lack of computers
for each student during the course (they sold most of them and didn’t
replace them); there was no router to program (the school bought us a
software version to play with); and the software had no licenses.

Cisco training started one week before Cisco retired the same exam. We
spent two months training for IIS 4.0 because the instructor said it was
too hard for us without the additional time (even though it was soon after
retired). We had minimal lab time (on average, much less than an hour
a day). One instructor was nearly illiterate. The instructors read from
books for hours upon hours daily and had no real experience (most came
directly out of school and taught). Books were filled with lots of errors.
The two NT electives were being retired and school was aware of it, but
kept teaching those classes. Computers were mostly P133s with 32MB of
RAM, and shared with other classes. Ghosting was required to get back
the previous day’s configuration (which took a long time).

The results: I had some initial struggles until I discovered Transcender’s
or similar CDs; I spent a three-month work term in which I trained students
online (the blind leading the blind); I got to keep the broken laptop;
I had no real work experience; and I became really disillusioned and considered
dropping future certifications.

So I’m upset and the clock still ticks, the loan needs to be repaid,
and I have no job or prospects. My girlfriend still supports me (great
gal). The bottom line is that I do know my stuff and can’t figure out
how to break into the “IT World.” I have more than 20 years of experience,
but none of it is really “official”—it’s mostly helping others with their
machines and software problems.

The best advice I can offer is to look for the results from past students
and not the glitter. Get a full list of a previous class to see how they
made out before giving a training center any money.—Robert MacPherson

MicroAge Learning Centre
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Three years ago I decided to pursue my A+, CNA and MCP certification in
NT 4.0 with MicroAge. The training was fantastic. The instructors were
talented, competent, and insightful. More importantly, they were able
to keep our attention while still achieving the level of technical proficiency
required to succeed in the field (not just pass the exams!).

In November 2000, I went back the same school with two friends to pursue
my MCSE in Win2K. Fifteen thousand Canadian dollars later, I'm disgusted
with the training I received. The instructors who had taught three years
ago had all left. The current instructor was a contract consultant who
had just left a company to be out on his own. He essentially read from
the book and expected us to follow along. The best part of the whole thing
is the promised placement with a company has never materialized for Derek,
who completed his MCSE almost three months ago.

I think that I will just go after the next certification on my own. That
kind of money would buy an amazing test lab ($6,000); a couple of complete
sets of prep books from a number of different companies ($1,500); all
of the Transcender exams ($2,000); with $5,500 left over to take the exams
(that's five attempts at each of the seven exams!) and a couple of hundred
bucks left over to print resumes when I'm done! —Anonymous

IT Academy
Denver, Colorado I attended an MCSE boot camp after taking out a loan for $7K. I
flew off to Denver to achieve the pinnacle of certifications for Network
Administrators. Once there, it was clear that the teacher was not interested
in whether the class completed the certification. What made it so clear
is that she spent all of our breaks in the hotel bar across the street.
It was a mixed bag. All of us had varying degrees of experience (from
complete novice to 15-year veterans). I was only three years into the
industry, yet felt I had enough hands-on experience that a boot camp was
the perfect option for me. In the end, we all ended up taking the copies
of Transcenders that where part of the curriculum and memorizing the questions.
I was so disheartened, I didn't even study for a couple of the tests.
Needless to say out of a class of 15 students, none of us walked away
with our certifications, not even the "Grey Dogs." Two years later and
certified as an MCSE through self-study, I've decided that it's just not
worth it to take classes in something that is better learned on the job.
I do intend to recertify as an MCSE for Win2K but I won't continue to
upgrade my certifications if Microsoft continues to retire certifications.
[This school appears to have gone out of business or is operating under
a different name.—Ed.]—Glenda S. Canfield

A Cedar Rapids, Iowa community college
If I had to grade my training experience, I'd say it was a C at best.
Our instructors are pretty good. However, the technology we used was for
the most part seriously out of date. We currently have only one lab that's
even capable of really running Windows 2000. I'll probably be able to
use my certification for something, but I might have chosen a different
path last year if I had known my training experience was going to turn
out like this. —Anonymous

New Horizons
Richfield, Minnesota
New Horizons offers evening training, which works better with my work
schedule, as well as pricing incentives that take the sting out of the
cost. I paid for the training myself. I'm not a network administrator
or developer. I sell software technology — embedded operating systems.
I felt I needed the training to better comprehend my customers' environments.
I tell you this because without a daily dose of administration chores,
the material and tests are quite challenging. New Horizons' evening classes
start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 10:30. Most classes are seven nights; some
run consecutively and others are on a more sane schedule of every other
day.

For a non-practitioner the material comes fast and furious. The classroom
training and Microsoft training material didn't prepare me for the exams.
I needed to purchase additional texts in order to supplement the classroom
training, and on top of that, I used brain dumps from the Web.

The instructors were OK. Most had solid industry experience. I started
my training by getting the A+ certification. The instructor's knowledge
was obviously all text book. An Exchange class was conducted by someone
who lacked the industry depth or teaching experience to be conducting
the class. One instructor who had great job and teaching experience didn't
do the labs because he thought they were too simplistic. Not a good choice
for me. I eventually set up a small NT network in my home.

The net is, the material is coming at you almost too fast if you don't
get to practice on a daily basis. This was my choice, since I needed to
do night training in an accelerated format. I needed to spend equally
as much time at home to prepare for the exams. I don't believe anybody,
even with experience, could pass the exams with just New Horizons classroom
training. It's not rigorous enough.

My masochistic tendencies have led me to sign up with more classes at
this New Horizons facility. They had some highly discounted coupons which
can be applied to instructor led training. I bit. I'll use the coupons
for Win2K certification courseware.—John Shasky

US Training
Miami, Florida I went to a rip-off school and I knew it was a rip off school from
day one. I paid for the course the day it started and the only trouble
we had was some of the course books arrived two days later. They were
offering NT 4.0 training in 1998 for only $1,271. For this amount you
were given books, software and a two-and-a-half-week, eight-hour-a-day
course on NT 4.0. Not bad. The instructor was an MCT, and while he was
book smart he didn't have any real-world experience. I got what I paid
for. Understand that during this same time other schools were charging
$8,000-plus for the NT 4.0 track. The school is no longer here, and I
don't know if they still exist. To others, I say, go in with your eyes
open. Don't be misled by salespeople and don't think you are going to
make $50,000 a year by being certified and having no experience. Last,
try to pay for the course the day before or the day it's set to begin.
[This school appears to have gone out of business or is operating under
a different name.—Ed.] —Raul H. Morales

iNetVersity
Torrance, California Apparently, this company went by various names and eventually moved
to Los Angeles. At the time I was unemployed (laid off from aerospace),
and I thought since I had some computer experience, it would be a good
idea to go for my MCSE certification. I found a program offered by the
Employment Development Department which paid for my MCSE training. So
I went to iNet Versity and talked to one of their counselors. This guy
broke out the usual newspaper clippings showing how much an NT Administrator
can make in a year and gave me the whole sales pitch. I bought into iNet
Versity's sales pitch and signed up.

As I took the MCSE course, I noticed the instructors weren't very bright
on the subjects they were teaching. I learned that one of the instructors
who had been teaching us NT 4.0 Workstation and Server wasn't even an
MCP. The guy had no prior work related experience with NT let alone computer
networking. He was a student who had taken the same course I was taking,
and the school hired him after he was done with the course. Most of the
instructors at iNet Versity made around $12 an hour. This course went
on for five months, and I was promised I would be found the perfect job
and that I would be making at least $60K a year.

When I finally finished the course, and it was time to find a job, iNet
Versity started giving me the cold shoulder. All the contacts they said
they had in the business didn't seem to exist now. I dealt with them for
two months. They finally told me about a company that was hiring, and
I went to that company and applied. I got the job with seemingly no help
from iNet Versity. I was told that as part of the MCSE program that I
took through EDD and iNet Versity, I was supposed to be employed for six
months or the school wouldn't get paid.

I was employed for three months then laid off. I called iNetVersity and
emailed them numerous times and they gave me the runaround for another
month. I found a contract job for one month at a company in Sherman Oaks,
which ended in December 2000. After that I was unemployed for two months.
I contacted iNet Versity once again and then decided to file a complaint
with EDD, which did nothing. I then filed a complaint with the Better
Business Bureau.

Unfortunately, I'm still unemployed. It has gotten to the point where
I'm considering a different career choice. [This school appears to
have gone out of business or is operating under a different name.—Ed.]—Shane P. Hagan

Certified Technical Institute
San Diego The school was just opening up in San Diego but originated from
Utah. I went down and checked it out. I liked the sales pitch and a few
weeks later I signed up. They did make promises like starting salaries
at $60,000-plus, but I took that with a grain of salt. The school was
going great, five nights a week, four hours a night to go along with my
part-time computer tech job. One week before I finished the MCSE track,
the school folded. Poof! Gone. Totally bankrupt. Thankfully, California
has a private school tuition reimbursement program. Right after the school
closed, I landed a good helpdesk job at the company I'm currently working
at. I finished my MCSE and then MCSE+Internet on my own by just doing
self study.

My advice: Try your local university, community college, or tech school.
Prices will be better, and courses will be suitable for a working adult.
If you have the discipline and some disposable income, set up a lab: two
or three computers, a hub, maybe even a router or two. Get on eBay and
shop. Buy stripped down computers (while keeping in the mind the Microsoft
HCL). Last, read magazines like this one. They're full of great articles.
—Thomas Tenhunen

America's Computer Training Source
Virginia Beach, Virginia They used all the usual tricks and traps to lure me in: promises
of an immediately successful career, the prospect of their job placement
representative finding me my "dream job," and a claim to provide me with
all the materials I'd need to pass the tests. I bought the nine-month
long program hook, line and sinker, $13K price tag and all. The initial
two months were quite rigorous, and the entire staff was overly friendly
(I now assume only because at that period in time, I was still entitled
to a refund if I dropped out of the school), and enabled me to earn my
A+ and Network+ certifications with ease.

After the actual Microsoft training began, it became more apparent of
the racket that this particular institution had going. It quickly came
to my attention that it is nearly impossible to pass a MCSE test with
only the MOC as a study source, as was promised before I laid my money
on the table, and the list of lies I was told only began to grow from
there. The staff of MCTs numbered around a dozen, but I can count on two
fingers how many of those actually conveyed a sense of interest in our
success and completion of the program.

When I finally achieved my MCSE (three months before the program ending
date, to boot), I figured the job placement coordinator would have no
problem helping to line up interviews, especially with the obvious effort
I put in to finish up early. However, by this time it didn't even surprise
me when all I received from her were excuses about how she couldn't find
me work, there are no jobs right now, and the like. They've already got
my money — why should they care what happens to me now? With luck and
four months of effort, I was able to land a great job, with absolutely
no help from my school.

I'm sure there are some institutions out there that are well worth investing
time and money in, but ACTS is nothing but a sham. In the coming months
I will begin to pursue a bachelor of science/computer information science
degree. The way I look at it, that will be money well spent vs. further
IT certification.—Aaron Frketich

Hesser College
Manchester, New Hampshire Hesser lured me in with "state of the art facilities" and "Microsoft
certification..." Silly me. I believed it and signed up for the road to
MCSE. This was in January 2000. The "state of the art" lab was Windows
95 (for which exams were about to be retired). When we raised complaints,
the official response was "We're not geared toward Microsoft..." Long
story short, I stopped going to Hesser and didn't have to pay for classes
I had already attended. —Jen Freeman

Softrain
Wilmington, North Carolina I am a cardiovascular technologist in a hospital looking to change
careers. At Softrain the instructors not only had to be certified, they
were required to have good experience. I invested a lot of evening time
and money for good hands-on training with great equipment. The certification
and education "sub-industry" is definitely a gargantuan money making machine.
Of the 72 pages in the July issue, 30 are advertisements for certification
or hurry and pay for the next certification before you "expire." The foundation
and fuel for all of this can be found on the mouse pad I received from
my training center. Microsoft says, "Seize the Opportunity." On my mouse
pad with Microsoft logos and colors, the following is emblazoned: "Fast
forward your career, get certified." I got certified. I'm in the same
career and my debt was fast forwarded. —Mark Townsend

Entre
Newport News, Virginia I'm a career changer. Entre's the kind of company that hypes the
market and possibilities, showing the 20-year-old with no college making
$40K on local billboards and in local papers. While I didn't buy into
the hype, I did feel that there were ample opportunities for a person
with certification. Oops!

I trained for and obtained my Windows 2K MCSE, a difficult task that
took seven months. It was certainly all the more difficult with no formal
background in the field. The quality of my instructors was good, and training
was rigid, but I saw a bad trend toward hiring anybody willing to do it.
I could have been hired as an instructor there right after my own training,
but I vowed I would never again teach without a background in the subject
I'm supposed to teach.

The other issue I have with this center is the "service after the sale,"
or in this case the lack of it. Once you're in the door and paid, you're
left on your own for job finding despite the claim of "placement assistance."
This assistance comes in the form of copies of Internet job postings,
which you're already finding for yourself most likely. I expected to see
sales/placement people who are in the hip-pockets of local IT directors
and have the inside track for putting good students/talent into local
positions. I guess I expect too much but I think that's what I'd do if
I were in the position.

In hindsight, my advice for selecting a CTEC is: 1) check the experience
levels of the instructors; and 2) check the placement statistics of all
students, not just the three or four success stories that the salespeople
have carefully rehearsed for you. My CTEC doesn't even try to keep in
touch or abreast of my status. (If I contacted them and told of my new
job, I'm sure I'd be one of those success stories that new prospects hear
about.) Also, ask the salesperson for his list of local IT contacts. If
you get the blank stare or an excuse for not producing one right away,
walk away!—John S. Kane

Lanop Affiliate (Orange Training Corp.)
West Orange, New Jersey My training started with an introductory program that was a sales
pitch to get me interested in training with Lanop. I attended the one
day affair and was impressed so I signed on at a cost of about $6,000.
Their training combines self study, classroom preparation, lab time and
practice exams. I passed Windows 95 and Networking Essentials within a
few months and was on my way to the coveted MCSE NT 4.0. Simultaneously,
I had been talking with my future wife and we were discussing a possible
move from New Jersey to Missouri, where there are no Lanop outlets. Before
I moved, I explained the situation to the school and they helped me out
by giving a CD with practice tests, CBTs, and all of the training manuals
I would have gotten had I been able to stay. I was now on my own.

I decided I needed more reference material so I bought the Exam Cram
and Sybex books. I already had enough of my own equipment to build a test
lab and really didn't get that much out of the classes so I figured I
could do this on my own. The six-month recipe worked well, and I was able
to complete the MCSE in February 2001 a few weeks prior to the extended
deadline.

The upshot of all this is that I could have completed the training on
my own using self study material, resources I already owned, and Internet
resources for about a sixth of what I paid to Lanop. I'm preparing to
start studying for the Win2K MCSE. I've purchased or obtained several
good practice test engines, Exam Cram books, and a few other books. I
have beta copies or 120-day copies of Win2K Server, Win2K Pro, and Win2K
Advanced Server, which I'm now using to upgrade my test lab. I'll get
the Win2K MCSE on a budget of around $1,000.

I'd recommend Lanop to someone who is new the IT Field and very "green."
The resources they have and the people you might meet while at their location
could prove helpful to a newbie.—Dan Obie

Connecting Point
Duluth, Minnesota I received my A+ and MCP a little over a year ago from Connecting
Point, which promised grandiose money and prestige. I stopped only at
my MCP because I realized halfway through the class that my hard-earned
MCSE would soon be null and void. I mentioned this to my instructors and
then finally to the owner of the facility, but they continued to push
us (the class) to continue anyway.

Of course, I bucked the current, stating that this was just not right.
And besides, it would cost $15,000 to boot! I even approached my classmates
regarding these very same issues; they rejected my views as disgruntled
and wrong. From that point on I was ignored by the staff and the class.

If there's anything people can glean from this horror story it's this:
Thoroughly check out the facility you plan to attend and spend thousands
of dollars on. Contact your state and city Better Business Bureaus to
see if they're registered and if there are any infractions or complaints
about them. Ask in-depth questions regarding their credentials, staff
training, financial aid packages and if they provide job placement. —Tanni R. Poole

Getting It Right

Monterey Park College
Monterey Park, California
The teachers don’t teach to the test, but from the book to real-life experience.
This school actually lets you touch the computer during class time when
you need to. Provided you’re A+ certified, you can take apart a computer
when the classroom exercises required you to do so. Other perks: a warm
and friendly staff; and when you finish your run of classes, you and your
peers get a pizza party. I first chose the school because I saw that it
had three branches and has been around for almost 10 years. The school
is ACICS-accredited and can provide financial aid. Those are two important
things people should look for. Many schools just offer the quick way to
certification and aren’t really accredited. They don’t follow any standards.
This school does.—Allen Tang

IKON
Albany, New York
The classrooms were well-equipped and the instructors were knowledgeable.
When a question was asked that the instructor didn’t know, he or she would
take the time during breaks or lunch to get the answer. The instructors
didn’t simply read from the book, but added their own experiences. They’ve
also been willing to answer questions not directly related to the class
when there’s time. I’m hesitant to go elsewhere.

While some individuals are right to be disappointed with the training
they received, individuals must ask if they might share the responsibility
for poor results. When taking a class, students would learn more and ask
better questions if they prepared ahead of time. I try to get a basic
understanding of the subject prior to the actual class. In doing so, I
can focus my questions on details that are confusing or unclear, rather
than waste time on topics that are quickly understood with a bit of self-study.
I gain more from the class that way.

The other problem is that we all want something for nothing. The training
centers that promote large salaries are dangling the same, old carrot—and
they’ll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge as well. The reason people believe
them is they either haven’t done their homework (i.e. investigated the
IT field), or they simply want to believe there’s a shortcut to high salaries.
Expectations need to be realistic.—Chris Lightner

New Horizons
Knoxville, TennesseeJust wanted you to know that there are some good schools out there
that give the opportunity with realistic expectations. New Horizons instructors
have both hands-on experience and add much to the curriculum and value
of the class. I believe that 60 percent of what I’ve learned (and been
able to apply at the testing table and in the field), I’ve learned not
from the MOC but from the instructor who could break it down and teach
why a certain operation or attribute functions the way it does, how to
diagnose problems, and how to fix them.

I attribute this to two things: 1) The school was locally owned and is
still managed by the former owners. So far, it doesn’t have a production-line
mentality; 2) The instructors. Ritchey Hume and Fred Cobb are DEC guys
who migrated to NT. One is a private consultant, and the other works for
Compaq. It would cost me around $150 to $250 per hour to pick their brains
as consultants. You can imagine the opportunities there in terms of getting
the bang for your (outrageous) Microsoft class buck. I ate it up, four
hours a night for eight to 10 nights per class. The instructors made the
difference here.—Greg Horner

MCSE University
Sandy, UtahI took the 15-day upgrade accelerated class. The first morning
we were asked if we had done unattended installs. I replied that in all
my NT 4.0 classes it was mentioned but never done due to “time.” The instructor,
Walter Boyd, then told us that we’d be spending the whole first day on
all the different ways to install Win2K, including RIS, SYSPREP, and so
on. I knew right then that I was at the right place. From then on everything
was hands-on. The environment was very conducive to learning. The instructor
was fantastic and had a wealth of knowledge. He had no problem sharing
this wealth.

We actually had Compaq servers with hot-swap drives as our workstations.
Most places use workstations with the server OS installed. The class ran
from 8 a.m. to about 6:30 p.m.. After that it was lab time and reading
until midnight or 1 a.m., seven days a week. The pace was hectic and we
were told that this type of class isn’t for everyone. Because of this,
the other students were top-notch.

Walt took pride in his work and really wanted us to leave with the knowledge
to implement Win2K correctly and efficiently. I learned so much there
that as soon as I learned things, I connected to my server at home and
made changes to correct security and other settings. It was more than
worth the money and time.—Greg Engels

Old Dominion University’s ITPro program
Norfolk, Virginia
The courses I took not only helped me toward my certifications, but I
also received credit for them.

The teachers are knowledgeable and always willing to help you out. If
they don’t know the answer to a question, they’ll find it or help you
find it. They have good labs that are set up for learning exercises. Also,
they understand that many of us are not full-time students, but full-time
workers with families at home.

Once I had completed my MCP status back in 1998, I searched hard for
a job with a company that would allow me to grow and get on-the-job experience
with the NT 4.0 OS, which is crucial to complete the learning experience.
I started out at the dreaded help desk and quickly progressed to Level
II technician, then Field Service Tech; now I’m one of the LAN administrators.
I made a good decision to work for a company that allowed me to grow while
I completed the rest of my certs.—Karen Causey

NetDesk
Seattle, Washington
NetDesk was pricey ($8,100 for 27 days of classes, equaling $300 per day).
Fortunately, my company paid for the classes and allowed me to take full-time
day classes to concentrate on learning Win2K. The facility is very well
set up—no more than 16 students per class (always fewer in my experience),
with well laid-out workstations. I took my tests there and liked the testing
facility also, which was comfortable, quiet and well-lit. The instructors
were very well trained and seemed to really know and like the subject
matter. While they allowed us to delve deeper than the MOC, they kept
us from getting off on irrelevant tangents. They were available before
and after classes for extra help and had a lab available for our use after
hours. I don’t think that just taking the classes would (nor should) prepare
anyone for the tests. I had a test network at home; bought sample tests
online (MeasureUp); and read, studied and worked hands-on for probably
an additional 40 hours per test. I also had a great motivation: I have
to upgrade our network and make sure it works! I passed all the exams
comfortably the first try, except 70-222, Migration from NT, for which
I just didn’t study. (Passed it on the second attempt a week later.)

I also have 20 years of experience in the computer field. I doubt I’d
hire an MCSE with no experience unless the person had some academic background
in the field and was willing to accept a computer assistant position.
When I was seeking a new computer assistant, I got resumes from several
people with no computer or computer academic background, but with an MCSE;
these people wanted $60,000-plus! I couldn’t believe the gall (or stupidity?)!—Lynnette Goodman

The folks at NetDesk really took the time to delve into what you really
are interested in doing and finding the right mix of classes to facilitate
that end. They have a knowledgeable client support staff, and the instruction
was above and beyond the call of duty. They not only brought the necessary
knowledge into the room with them, but they also brought a touch of fun
too. They were not just the contract teachers you see in many places,
but full time staff that I have been able to call and question even months
after the class ends. Each time I passed a test, there I was, surrounded
by well wishers. These folks are the best. Even though I work at an AATP,
I realize there are different learning types and styles, so while I'd
love to help everyone who comes here for training, there are those who
desire or need the compact learning style of a CTEC. I send them to NetDesk.
—Shay Jones

Hamilton College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
My instructor was Sheila Sorensen, who had her MCSE, bachelor’s degrees
in English and computer science, and an MBA. The instruction was excellent.
Many of the students in the class had jobs before they were three months
into the nine-month program. I waited until I got my MCSE. I got almost
nothing from Internet job searches and temp agencies, but when I put out
hard-copy resumes, I got an interview for a second-level support job working
at John Deere within days and was offered the job two days later.

I’m presently a network administrator in Erie, Pennsylvania making what
it took my Dad more than 20 years to work up to at General Electric.

Getting my MCSE and studying at Hamilton were two of the smartest moves
I ever made.—Tom Strike

Computer Education Institute
Riverside, California This school didn't mess around. The networking program was five
hours a day, five days a week for eight months. You had to pass a test
to get into the program, and it cost about $10,000. Studying a minimum
of three hours a day after school was imperative. We lost 75 percent of
the class by the end.

The curriculum included hardware, Novell and NT. No exam question memorization
— just hands-on. Excellent computer lab with several hired tutors covering
all shifts. After this, I was hired by a company doing second-level technical
support for $10 an hour. I knew that no company would hire me as an administrator
or engineer with no experience. I was able to get a junior network technician
job soon after that, due to having some "computer" experience combined
with the schooling. I was an MCSE four months out of tech school but I
still wanted some kind of experience before I shot for a network job.
Three years later I make $52,000 and owe much of my success to the school
that let me learn as much as I wanted. —Nathan Steere

Mountain View Systems
Fort Collins, Colorado The Mountain View Systems Windows 2000 MCSE Boot Camp in Fort Collins,
Colorado is, without question, the finest training course I have ever
attended. James Carrion taught us how Windows 2000 technology really works,
in addition to what we needed to pass the certification tests. [Carrion
is also a columnist for MCP Magazine. — Ed.] James explained
the most complex subjects (Active Directory Schema, Replication, Group
Policy Objects, Trust Relationships, Inheritance, Public Key Infrastructure,
Routing and Remote Access, etc.) in such a way that we all understood
the subject matter.

The accommodations were first rate. The Mountain View staff and Marriott
staff were very helpful and made sure that everything was right. Everyone
in our class had access to the training room 24 hours a day. There was
no traffic or commute to worry about because the training room is in the
hotel.

This was also the most intense course that I've ever attended. The classes
lasted about seven to eight hours a day, seven days a week, but we also
spent four to six hours a night studying, sometimes in groups and sometimes
alone. Most of us passed all seven certification tests on the first try,
and those who failed a test passed on the second try. Everyone in our
class graduated as a Windows 2000 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer!

James Carrion spent many hours after class helping small groups and individuals
with some of the more difficult concepts. Prospective students should
have a year or more of experience with Windows NT and some familiarity
with Windows 2000. I highly recommend the Mountain View Systems Windows
2000 MCSE Boot Camp to anyone interested in achieving or upgrading Microsoft
Certifications. —Ammon Doc Leeson

Southern Methodist University's School of Engineering,
Advanced Computer Education Centers
Plano, Richardson, Houston & San Antonio, Texas Wave TechnologiesDallas, Texas (specifically, Irving,Texas) TechData
Clearwater, Florida I made a career shift from manufacturing to computers three years
ago, after being laid off. SMU offered classroom training with a server
for every two students and a full lab we could use after class. It was
just what I needed: total immersion and lots of motivated students to
study with. My only criticism was that my particular instructor tended
to "read the text" and not "teach" but there were other instructors who
could do this. The course took about four and a half months and I passed
my last two exams within six weeks of completing the course. (Then I landed
a job where 80 percent of my time was dealing with Unix!)

Last year I went through Wave's CCNA course. It was intense, and yes,
they taught to the test; but the course material (and lab equipment) was
superb and required the student to comprehend and perform real skills
necessary for a CCNA. My only criticism was the instructor joked too much
and often wandered off course; but I was impressed with the facilities,
the equipment and some other instructors I met.

Then, I attended Hewlett-Packard training on HP NetServers to achieve
my HP Star certification at TechData. Here, the equipment and instructor
were very good. The more experience you have, the more you will gain from
a class/lab setting. I had none for the MCSE. I had no illusions about
what that MCSE meant and that I had just begun to learn.) but some networking
issues and building HP servers as part of my current job enabled me to
"go deeper" with the material presented in the other classes.—Eric G. Brown

Amraf
Laindon, Basildon, Essex, UKThere were 16 or so students in a class, which doesn't help when
you want to ask questions. My advice would be to go to a good training
establishment with no more than six to eight in the course. However the
training was on the whole good and I felt I learned a lot, except there
was a lot to take in. The course gave me confidence in learning the material.
It was definitely of benefit, but I reckon next time for 2000 I shall
go it alone, with the books, especially Microsoft training kits. I would
say that 80 percent of preparation for exams was done outside the classroom.

If I could make £100,000 a year doing gardening, I probably would do
it. Any way, I really enjoy computing and don't regard it as work. And
I get paid a pretty decent wage. So my advice is keep getting qualified,
but keep on the look out for other things as well. —Bob Oldershaw

CALC/Canterbury
Parsippany, Northern New Jersey I spent a lot of time in self study to prepare for the classes.
Of the four instructors I had, each was very knowledgeable in the subject
area, and one in particular was an excellent instructor. I was very satisfied
with the classes and felt I received my money's worth. Included in the
fee for the classes, were New Riders Exam Study Guides, access to the
MeasureUp exam prep site, and a $100 voucher for each exam.

As far at the certification frenzy goes, the "too many IT jobs to fill"
myth is in fact a fantasy. I hate to say it but the promises of getting
a lucrative IT job by attending training classes — even attending classes
at reputable firms — is a ticket to the unemployment line. No employer
is going to hire someone, be it a person with an MCSE or and MCSD, who
has attended training, and has merely passed the exams. It just isn't
going to happen. —Charlie Bruno, MCSD

EdNet Career Institute
Woodland Hills, California The students were mostly displaced aerospace workers. I think we
were all JTPA funded. The facilities weren't elaborate, and the equipment
wasn't "state of the art." But the training was an intensely focused six
months. We were in class eight hours a day, five days a week, and spent
most weekends in the school working on labs. We built our own machines
from components supplied by the school and re-networked the classroom
for each new MOC. It was a real testament to the staff that almost my
entire class achieved NT 4.0 MCSE status. We were never promised we'd
get high dollar jobs after graduation, but we did have a sense that we
were getting more than a paper certificate. The training I got there provided
just enough background to get started in this new career.

Like most new guys in this business, I worked any temp contract I could
get until I finally accumulated a little real-world experience. A year
ago I landed a regular 8-to-5, salaried tech support position. Today,
I supervise our helpdesk and administer our new Win2K network.

Now I'm back in school at a local technical college in Eagan, Minnesota,
upgrading my MCSE to W2K. This time classes are paid for by my employer.
I'm attending classes two nights a week, with one eight-hour Saturday
session each month. The school isn't bad, but I sometimes wish I was back
in that schoolhouse in Woodland Hills. My present class started out with
14 students in April. There are six of us left today. I will probably
be the only one who will actually try to certify after completion in August.
The atmosphere here is completely different from that at EdNet. The information
is presented pretty much straight out of the MOC. There's no emphasis
on preparation for certification testing. I guess that's the difference
between a community college and a commercial CTEC. Certification was the
carrot at the end of the stick. It's still a pretty tasty carrot. —Jim Freemon

Wave Technologies
London, UK I've successfully completed the CCNA 1.0 and CCNP bootcamps at
Wave over a period of 12 months. I found the level of knowledge and equipment
on hand exceptional. The instructor for both camps was Indi Sall, a CCNP
on his way to becoming a CCIE. The CCNA camp was one week and very intense.
Starting time at 8 a.m., a quick break at 10, a quick lunch at 12. Afternoon
was much the same, finishing between 4 p.m. and 5:30.

Not only did we learn what we needed to pass the exam, but we learned
about how things work in the real world. The CCNP boot camp was much the
same. A two-week excursion to hell and back: four exams in two weeks.
A slow start due to late arrivals. First exam, Routing. Not to be taken
lightly. A lot of theory going over all in the Cisco Press book, which
we all should have read prior to the camp. A lot of configuring routers
as a group and in pairs. Wednesday, exam day, we had only the morning
to do the exam, as we had to start on switching in the afternoon. All
but one candidate passed. With a renewed confidence we then started Switching.
Once again, into the depths of the books and even more hands on using
5505 and 2900 switches. Intense practices. Friday, exam day. All passed.
No let up for the weekend, even though we weren't in class. Week 2: Straight
into the course material. Remote Access first. Most of us found this hard
going since we mostly work on switches. Lots of setting up ISDN circuits
and backup circuits. I personally found this hard going as did a lot of
the other candidates. Wednesday, exam day. Feeling very unprepared. I
passed the exam with a quite good pass. Straight into Support. Not a lot
of hands-on to be done — mostly playing with different commands and seeing
the results. Some troubleshooting mainly due to errors in the previous
labs; still good practice. Friday, exam day. The final hurdle. Some had
been brave and taken the exam on Thursday evening. The last four of us
took the exam and passed. The candidate who failed Routing on the first
exam passed it on the second attempt. A 100-percent pass rate on a very
intense course.

I'm now looking forward to increasing my Cisco knowledge and possibly
going after a CCIE. It's scary to realize what you don't know when you're
out in the real world and getting in the thick of it. —Simon Pell

Academy of Florida
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Not a lot of hands-on, but the teacher, Scott South, was outstanding.
While I was finishing my exams, I noticed that the students taking the
new Win2K course were required to do numerous labs before they were allowed
to take exams. The upside and downside to this training center is their
extremely small size, which limits the price, and availability of teachers
to help with labs; but the staff who are there have great people skills
and immense technical knowledge. They also have a test pass guarantee
if you follow their lab schedule. The prices for classes are much more
affordable than any other training center I have ever heard of. —Ray Douglas

Rhino Systems
Green Bay, Wisconsin Rhino believes its instructors must also be implementers and so
require each of them to work at what they teach. My SMS instructor, Matt,
also uses SMS to implement network upgrades and installations. Those who
teach programming work as contract programmers. This affords the students
a wealth of "real" background when taking classes. I've taken four classes
there, most recently the Upgrading Skills class. The school seems to go
out of their way for their students, going so far as to supply Friday
lunch for those of us attending a five-day classes and having snacks at
each major break. Of course, this doesn't make the classes better, but
sometimes little things can break up the day and make the atmosphere nicer.

One of the nicest things about the company for whom I am working is their
support for training. We're a company specializing in industrial construction,
with much work being done in the power production facility field. We have
administrative assistants pursuing degrees in fields not normally considered
"secretarial." My own manager believes I should upgrade my present certification
to the Win2K track. To this end I have four classes scheduled for this
year alone. It's really not something I've ever seen in other positions
I've held. AZCO, Inc is not paying lip service to training/education.
It's actually doing something about it. —David Dahl

Azlan
London, Wokingham, and on-site, UK This training organization makes a lot of effort to ensure that
the training is a pleasant experience with first-class facilities (including
an excellent lunch, coffee, biscuits and croissants and air-conditioned
offices). It encourages its staff to go out into the real world so that
they can supplement the official text with how stuff can really be made
to work. The staff are all very approachable and will go out and find
answers to all the questions posed to them. When I had the misfortune
of being made "redundant" in the middle of my company-sponsored MCSE,
I was able to come to an arrangement with Azlan that enabled me to finish
my training at a very reasonable rate.—Paul Harman

Richland College
Dallas, Texas I received an associate's degree in computer networking and took
classes for my MCSE and CNE. Each class was six weeks long with lots of
labs. They met two days a week, generally from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The
instructors in most of my classes had real-world experience and certifications.
This helped greatly since they could tell you about working in the industry.
After getting my MCSE, I got a job in a help desk for Bank of America.
When I started, I was very nervous that I was not as prepared as they
wanted me to be. After a week of training I knew I would was OK. I went
back to the same school, took classes for my CCNA, and passed that certification.
I'm now working on the Windows 2000 classes. —Stephen Dempsey

New Horizons
Hartford, Connecticut I found the instructors for the most part to be excellent and quite
helpful. The sales end of things used all the charm words to lure you,
though I hadn't paid that much attention to what they promised. I knew
what I wanted and asked questions of my instructors when I didn't know
something. Every instructor I had thanked me for asking the questions
I had. At a morning coffee break I had sat with a couple of them. They
were thankful because week in and week out they lecture to blank faces
with vacant eyes. Each of my instructors gave me insight and opinions
on books they've used as well as Web sites they frequented and one gave
me the all important knowledge of how to use TechNet. Wow! —Dan O'Neill

New Horizons
Denver, Colorado I've taken seven training courses and each one has been excellent.
I'm continually impressed with the level of knowledge the instructors
display there, especially the last class, "Updating Support Skills from
Microsoft Windows NT to Microsoft Windows 2000." That class consisted
of about 16 MCSEs who rattled off question after question concerning the
various nuances of Win2K. The instructor, Shawn Stugart, handled each
question with superior knowledge. I kept thinking how scary it would be
to stand up in front of 16 "know-it-alls' and handle everything they can
throw at you.

As for those who would blast certifications, I say, take the certification
for what it is: a way to obtain a great deal of general knowledge about
a certain topic/software/OS/. It's not a guarantee for high-paying jobs,
but it is valuable knowledge to have if you use it in conjunction with
real-life IT situations. The combination of certification and experience
is greater than the sum of its individual parts and the key in finding
those good-paying IT jobs, even in slow economic times like today. I managed
to combine my certification with actual experience, and, yes, I'm making
what they said I would! —Kevin Bollinger

New Horizons
Lexington, Kentucky After three years of working as a contractor in a large network
test lab, I signed up for an MCSE program at New Horizons, paying a fairly
hefty sum for seven classes and six exams. The training was fairly useful,
filling in some holes in my experience and allowing me to pass all of
my exams on the first try. I combined the classes with lots of studying
and a fairly good lab in my basement. Becoming certified allowed me, in
combination with my experience and degree, to move up the ladder to a
different job with more upward mobility.

A friend who has a degree and career in a totally unrelated field has
paid a large sum of money to the same training center, hoping to get through
the MCSE program, become certified, and break into the fabulous world
of IT riches. The advertising for the training points out that the average
MCSE salary is around $68,000 per year, without mentioning the many years
of experience that go along with that level of earning. After attending
several classes, having paid a large sum for an MCSE track, this person
is now being asked by the training center to pay several thousand more
dollars to continue attending classes. His IT career is still non-existent.

Many training centers deliver a good product, but they use less than
honest marketing to try to bring in as many bodies as possible, without
regard to the student's prospects for success. It seems that many people
will strike at the chance to start a new, high paying career in as few
as three to six months. The truth is that none of these training programs
is able to prepare someone with no experience or education for the immediate
riches they promise. If it sounds too good to be true... —Timothy L. Wisner

IKON
Bloomfield, Connecticut New Horizons
Trumbull, Connecticut At the time, I was new to networking concepts. My employer was
planning to install an NT network and asked if I would like to head up
the project and manage the network after installation. To ensure that
I took the assignment seriously, they required that I obtain MCSE status.
At that time, IKON was a great facility with excellent instructors. My
only problem was with some of the students. Some treated the time away
from work as a vacation, with little motivation or requirement to learn.
Some had little or no computer skills and had to be tutored in the basics.
Some craved attention and had to demonstrate to the class their vast knowledge
of the obvious. In the higher level classes like SQL 6.5 administration,
there were fewer of these types. I earned my MCSE in early 1999 and completed
a successful network installation.

I've since moved on to another employer that's requiring me to upgrade
my cert to Windows 2000. I enrolled this time at New Horizons. I've already
taken 1560, 1562 and 2150. I'm scheduled for 1561 next month. I'm very
satisfied with New Horizons. They have a "guaranteed" class policy, which
states that certain classes will be held even if minimum attendance is
not met. Martin Wuestoff is the primary networking instructor at this
New Horizons franchise. He's well prepared and very knowledgeable in the
course material. He also provides demos and further explanation where
he feels Microsoft may not have given a topic enough attention. Overall,
I feel that both CTECs were top-notch training providers. —Rob McCabe

New Horizons
Knoxville, Tennessee Just wanted you to know that there are some good schools out there
that give the opportunity with realistic expectations. New Horizons instructors
have both hands-on experience and add much to the curriculum and value
of the class. I believe that 60 percent of what I've learned (and been
able to apply at the testing table and in the field), I've learned not
from the MOC but from the instructor who could break it down and teach
why a certain operation or attribute functions the way it does, how to
diagnose problems, and how to fix them.

I attribute this to two things: 1) The school was locally owned and is
still managed by the former owners. So far, it doesn't have a production-line
mentality; 2) The instructors. Ritchey Hume and Fred Cobb are DEC guys
who migrated to NT. One is a private consultant, and the other works for
Compaq. It would cost me around $150 to $250 per hour to pick their brains
as consultants. You can imagine the opportunities there in terms of getting
the bang for your (outrageous) Microsoft class buck. I ate it up, four
hours a night for eight to 10 nights per class. The instructors made the
difference here. —Greg Horner

Smart Digital Technology
Fullerton, California Last year I heard of thousands of IT jobs waiting to be filled
nationwide and overseas. So I decided to go to school. I shopped around
at eight different schools. After checking with others, I decided to attend
Smart Digital.. They take the time to make sure you understand the courses
and you can even sit in with other classes as a refresher. They're a reliable
and honest business. They don't over charge their students like some other
schools I looked into, and they don't offer a "free computer" with the
A+ course, which is another rip-off. (Everyone knows the cost is included
within your tuition to the school and it's usually a minimally equipped
computer anyway.) All schools have job placement assistance but none of
them can guarantee you a job after you graduate, although they give you
the sales pitch that they will if you attend their school. I'm currently
still trying to get into this IT field but I'm keeping my options open
to return to trucking, my previous field. Right now most companies have
a hiring freeze due to the economy. In fact, I've gone on several interviews
and they say they're using NT, and it works fine. They don't want spend
the money to upgrade and get new licenses for Windows 2000. So for now
I'm in between the famous "rock and a hard spot." —Jon Martinez

Creative Networking Concepts
Sussex, New Jersey CNC is a Microsoft-certified facility that uses only top-notch
MCT and CTT trainers and that conducts their testing strictly by the book.
They go to great lengths to make sure their students are provided with
anything they need to be successful in their MCSE quest. Although they
use the MOC for their tracks, the instructors often delve much deeper
into the more important concepts and add extra hands-on labs to help assure
students can apply what is being taught. The labs reflect real-world situations
and are not just simple plug-and-play jokes. They strongly and repeatedly
encourage all students to form study groups and use their facility to
the maximum degree.

I don't expect the credential to net me a $100K/year job that I don't
deserve. I just want it to provide me with enough knowledge and credibility
to start in the field, and have the opportunity to learn even more from
working with more experienced IT professionals. After spending the last
25 years doing something I hated, just because the pay was good. I'd simply
like the opportunity to spend the next 25 doing something I actually enjoy.
—Andy Morris

TechData
Dallas, Texas I went to TechData's Advanced Cisco Routing Class. My instructor
was at the top of his field. He had real-world experience and was able
to get this information to us. The classroom setting had newer equipment
and the routing labs worked great. We even got to throw in some bugs and
see if we could fix the problems they caused. —Dave Samic

Advice on Training

As a result of my experiences as a trainer and trainee, I can reduce
my opinion of a good training program to a single word: Instructor. While
it's true the facility does have some impact (good light, equipment, temperature,
and the like), the single biggest contributor to the success of the candidate
is the instructor. The instructor makes up for inadequacies in the materials,
physical plant and personalities of the students — for good or bad. My
ideal instructor is one who not only has the credentials but also works
in the industry. The experience factor of the instructor provides for
"real world" augmentation of the theory presented in the materials. —Brent F. Goodfellow

First, my training came entirely at my own expense and at my own rate
of learning. Several promises by employers along the way to help offset
the cost proved to be unfounded. Second, my training and certifications
were not taken seriously by anyone until I had built my own connections
inside the industry. My mid-life career change came at a time when I needed
to do something I really could love. That meant a mix of training. Since
I couldn't get experience, I chose a community college. From there I cultivated
connections to begin trying networking skills in various environments
for free. I was already A+ certified and had been building boxes on the
side and that was a big help. I did roughly three years of freebie work
after hours and on weekends. Next, I began to purchase books (lots of
books!). Reading only created a bigger desire to get more hands on.

Then I chose the next step: closing out a retirement account, I took
some of the money and signed up for a boot camp. I already had some limited
experience, a junior college certification, and a good reading background.
We had 11 people in my camp; only six of us made it all the way through.
I've heard all kinds of horror stories about "paper MCSEs," but if the
intensity of the camp I went through is any indication, I would say the
boot camp was an excellent experience.

Did this make me a networking guru? No way!

After all this, the most important lesson I learned is that there's always
more to learn. You can't stop. That's the beauty of this business. It's
impossible to know everything. And that's its challenge as well.

Learning to say thank you, asking for help, and sharing information without
reserve would help the public's view of IT professionals immensely. On
the other side, this industry has also been hurt because companies expect
to have multi-disciplined IT professionals with experience in every piece
of software ever made. This makes for an environment that discourages
hands-on learning and developing local resources, both of which are extremely
important for a network administrator or desktop support specialist.

The last thing I've observed is that companies no longer like to contribute
to the cost of training. Certifications change almost every 18 months
anymore, but the industry is usually one or two operating systems behind.
This is happening with equipment as well. That means for an IT professional
to stay in the hunt for knowledge, they have to keep training. This in
itself justifies higher wages, since companies are balking at providing
that training. —Darwin Steele

I would like to offer an instructor's point of view. I joined the technical
training facility I currently teach at based primarily on past experience
as a student and the center's reputation in the community. Coming from
a mix of four years in the field and prior (apps) trainer experience,
it was a validation of my hard work to be accepted into such a group.
I've taught over 2,000 students in my training career. There's simply
no method of calculating the hours I have spent in preparation for each
class; but it makes every minute worth it to know that a student of mine
will leave with what he or she came for. I know it may be difficult, but
prospective students need to do homework on the training centers in their
area before committing those hard-earned funds. Do whatever it takes to
find others who have attended each facility you're considering and get
their opinion. Preparing for a career in this industry isn't easy; so
take the time to qualify the training provider you choose and dig in!
—Butch Waller

Before deciding which school I was going to attend, I spoke to people
in the field, asking where they went and if they would recommend that
school. I also attended open houses at these schools. I decided only two
schools were worth it, Computer Learning Centers (which has since gone
out of business) and Temple University's IT program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Since Temple is a college, I figured it had a reputation to live up to.
CLC had been in business for over 40 years so I figured they knew what
they were doing. I chose CLC and graduated in October 2000, with an A+
and MCSE in NT 4.0. But from the start I knew the bulk of the work would
be on my shoulders. Diploma or not, I was responsible for my success.
I found a job within two weeks of graduating. In closing, don't believe
everything they tell you, use your head, do your homework and you will
succeed! —Bruce Levin

I've worked as a trainer at two different training centers. Neither of
them is a CTEC; both are AATP centers, offering two-year degrees that
incorporate the MCSE certification. Here's my take on what's bad.

First, the school doesn't qualify the prospective student in the following
issues, and therefore sets the student up for failure: Has the prospect
ever used a computer before? The philosophy is that we should be able
to give them introductory courses, and when they've finished those, they're
ready to start the MCSE track. I disagree. A year of real-world experience
as a user (it doesn't even have to be work experience) is a bare necessity
in my opinion. I can't teach operating system concepts successfully to
folks who don't even know how to use a mouse, copy a file, or run a program.

What is the prospect's reason for taking the MCSE track? I'm mighty tired
of hearing that the prospect looked at a list of comparative salaries
and chose MCSE without having a clue about what the job entails. When
I point out that the job behind the salary glitz is demanding, requires
overtime, requires weekend and holiday work because that's the only time
you can bring the servers down, requires them to constantly retrain and
learn new stuff for the rest of their lives, and will require them to
actually work and study very hard outside of classroom hours, you should
see how many of them beat feet to the door.

Management refuses to let me give this speech before the prospects sign
the financial contracts. It's only about money to them. But the result
is a 30 to 40 percent drop-out rate (for which the instructor is likely
to be blamed). And since you must "teach out" a degree student and can't
add new students halfway through the MCSE track, you end up with unprofitable
class sizes that make everybody unhappy.

Does the prospect have the aptitude for computers? Network administration
is a detail-oriented, multi-tasking, demanding, logic-based career. And
it's not for people who want to do only one thing at a time or who want
a nice predictable 9-5 job.

Is the prospect willing to put in 10 to 20 hours per week of personal
study time while in school? I can't spoon-feed a certification into them.
It takes work on their part, outside of class. Too many students think
they can just "put in the time" in the classroom, without even so much
as taking notes and expect to get that $80,000 job. And guess who they
blame when they can't pass a certification exam? Yes, the instructor.
Perhaps all of this sounds elitist on my part, but I've been training
folks in operating systems for a lot more years than there have been PCs,
and the issues are still the same as they have always been. The prerequisites
for studying an operating system have to include more than the abilities
to breathe and qualify for a student loan.

Second, the school should be realistic. Can we really retrain a 50-something
person into a brand new career in computers and realistically think he
or she can get a job? How many companies do you know who are comfortable
hiring 50-something new-hires with zero experience in the industry? I'm
50-something with 20-plus years of experience, and I have trouble getting
hired in this dot-com era! I compare this to the modeling schools that
promise young girls the opportunity for lucrative modeling assignments.
When they have completed the course, they're then "assessed" and told
they're too short, the wrong shape, not photogenic. But, of course, the
money has already changed hands...

Third, students and instructors deserve a quality learning environment.
That means decent chairs (not the stackable plastic cafeteria chairs;
four hours in one of those and you go directly to your chiropractor after
school), reliable hardware, cartridges for printers, white board markers
and erasers — you know, the basic stuff for a classroom. How about vacuuming
the floor occasionally? And is it asking too much to get the instructor
materials to me some time before the class begins so that I can prepare
to teach?

Fourth, management either has to be computer-literate or had better be
willing to listen to their instructors who are. You can't dictate how
long a technical course will be just so that it will fit nicely into your
block schedule. (No problem, I will just talk faster to compress this
12-week course into six weeks.) And we don't just "baby-sit" our classes
like some of the intro courses (which use teach-yourself-type textbooks).
We actually lecture, explain and guide the students during the entire
four-hour class. Don't ask us to make follow-up calls to absent students
during our 10-minute breaks!

Fifth, schools that use unlicensed copies of software (or allow instructors
to pass out bootleg copies of software) are doing the whole industry a
big disservice. What message are we giving to the students? What will
the local companies think of our graduates who espouse the same philosophy
about bootleg software? If you steal software, what else do you steal?

Sixth, some schools pass out As like popcorn by allowing instructors
to give students the classroom test questions before the test is given
or to give ridiculously easy, unrealistic tests. What a shock when the
student tries to take a Microsoft exam!

Seventh, instructors expect to be paid within a reasonable timeframe.
Yes, I'm sorry that your small classes aren'tprofitable, but that isn't
my fault since you refuse to allow me to qualify the prospects and refuse
to take my advice in how to do so.

In spite of all of this, several of us still manage to turn out a few
quality students (the ones that had a decent background before they started
and who had a high level of motivation). And we jump through every imaginable
hoop possible to make it happen for them, including extra unpaid review
sessions, providing reference materials, helping them with their home
PCs, and the like. The joy comes when you're finally able to launch someone
into a new career and watch them blossom, knowing that you shared a turning
point in their life. That's what makes it all worthwhile. —An instructor in the southeast

I decided that I learn much better from books and experience, so I haven't
received any training from a formal program. I'm currently an MCSD. I
managed my first exam in Visual Basic after four years of experience in
VB, two years of sporadic studying, and one month of intensive, full-time
studying. I used a single "official" book and (to learn VB in the first
place) the Mastering Visual Basic 5.0 CD. Both were incredible finds for
me.

I passed the VB 6.0 exams with a few months of experience, four books,
and two months of studying about 20 hours a week. I also received a 95
percent on that exam. I passed my last exam, Analyzing Requirements, after
studying one book for a month. I passed all but one exam on the first
try. I had no experience with Distributed Applications (which is the one
that I had to take twice) and minimal experience with project management,
which is the focus of Analyzing Requirements. However, I feel that I learned
a tremendous amount from the whole experience. In fact, I believe the
only value that the MCSD has provided me is the increased confidence and
knowledge that came from all of the studying. I have actually given lectures
on the material I learned for the Analyzing Requirements exam and currently
am the leader of an Access/VB user group. Passing my first exam may also
have helped me land two jobs at a critical time in my career.

The quality of the study materials varied greatly. My VB 5 book and the
Analyzing Requirements book were mind-numbingly useful and instructive.
Most of the rest of them were only useful for providing extra exam questions
and giving a rough sketch of what was actually on the test. Total cost
of training: $230. —Shane Hubler

I took classes part-time in the evenings and on Saturdays at NetTrain in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. I received
sufficient instruction to pass all three NT core exams and hope to roll
them over to Win2K by the end of the year. We had plenty of hands-on work.

Recently, my instructor asked the class if they were going to take more
certification exams. I didn't answer right away, then he asked me directly.
To his horror, I said no. When asked why, I told him that certifications
won't get you the job, and the entire certification process is really
only for experienced computer professionals. I explained that the lure
of "thousands" of IT employers, ravenous for MCPs, literally haunting
the back doors of just such schools was in reality nothing but a pipe
dream. Of course, he stuck to the school line and told me I was wrong.

I did get a short-term position doing break-fix work for Siemens. I absolutely
loved the work. It wasn't anything like network administration, but I
was (and am) completely willing to start at the bottom. I'll start at
the bottom. I'll work the third shift. I'll take less money. I entered
this game figuring it was a way to improve things for my family. An IT
"career" would allow me to constantly upgrade my brain, and I would finally
be paid for thinking. I don't wish to take over the whole IT department
— I only wish to prove to a lucky employer that I'm an asset. I don't
care about the thousands of IT jobs that will go unfilled... I only need
one. Soon. —Floyd Adams